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The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts cover

The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts

by Joshua Hammer · 2016

Spotify — not confirmed On Apple Books

In the 1980s, a young adventurer and collector for a government library, Abdel Kader Haidara, journeyed across the Sahara Desert and along the Niger River, tracking down and salvaging tens of thousands of ancient Islamic and secular…

About The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts

In the 1980s, a young adventurer and collector for a government library, Abdel Kader Haidara, journeyed across the Sahara Desert and along the Niger River, tracking down and salvaging tens of thousands of ancient Islamic and secular manuscripts that were crumbling in the trunks of desert farmers. His goal was to preserve this crucial part of the world's patrimony in a gorgeous library. But then Al Qaeda showed up at the door. The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu tells the incredible story of how Haidara, a mild-mannered archivist and historian from the legendary city of Timbuktu, became one of the world's greatest and most brazen smugglers by saving the texts from sure destruction. With bravery and patience, he organized a dangerous operation to sneak all 350,000 volumes out of the city to the safety of southern Mali. This real-life thriller is a reminder that ordinary citizens often do the most to protect the beauty and imagination of their culture. It is also the story of a man who, through extreme circumstances, discovered his higher calling and was changed forever by it.

Description via Apple Books · source.

Where to listen & where it's available

The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts is available as an audiobook on Apple Books. We haven't confirmed it on Spotify yet — but you can still search there below.

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More by Joshua Hammer

The Mesopotamian Riddle (Unabridged) cover The Mesopotamian Riddle (Unabridged) The Kalinka Affair: A Father's Hunt for His Daughter's Killer (Unabridged) cover The Kalinka Affair: A Father's Hunt for His Daughter's Killer (Unabridged) The Honeymoon Murder (Unabridged) cover The Honeymoon Murder (Unabridged) The Falcon Thief (Unabridged) cover The Falcon Thief (Unabridged) The Desert Blues (Unabridged) cover The Desert Blues (Unabridged) The Mesopotamian Riddle: An Archaeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World's Oldest Writing cover The Mesopotamian Riddle: An Archaeologist, a Soldier, a Clergyman, and the Race to Decipher the World's Oldest Writing

See all Joshua Hammer audiobooks →

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The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts — frequently asked

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We haven't confirmed The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts on Spotify's audiobook catalog yet. Spotify audiobooks are included with Premium (up to a monthly listening limit) in supported markets.
Is The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts on Apple Books?
Yes — The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts is available as an audiobook on Apple Books.
Who wrote The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts?
The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts is by Joshua Hammer.
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